a person of integrity, and took up Mallefax who is notorious for being the very opposite."

"Is it not possible," remarked Sidney, gently, that the Newloves, strangers here, were unaware of Mr. Mallefax's illrepute?"

"We cannot suppose so," answered Howard, "without imputing blame to Mr. Somers, whose duty it was to have cautioned them against him."

The lawyer appealed to here, by a look of inquiry, admitted that he had warned his clients not to put trust in Mallefax.

"And why was it," continued the other, "that you were not consulted with regard to this paper, Mr. Somers? If Emma Newlove thought proper to spare you the pain of appearing again in Court opposed to Mr. Everlyn, why was it thought inadvisable moreover, to refrain from asking your opinion upon the evidence to be presented? Is this excess of delicacy to be attributed to the fear of shocking your nerves by the spectacle of a document so ominous of ruin to your friend's fortune? Or did she apprehend that you might betray her cause at the very last? No, no! It is plain she feared you might detect and expose the meditated crime."

Somers perceived that young Astiville had a malicious object for endeavoring to draw him forth, but he thought it an unworthy thing to stand by in silence while reproach was heaped on one so blameless as he believed Emma. "If Sidney," was his thought, "be ungenerous enough to take it ill that I should defend absent innocence, I must have some other rule than her opinion to square my conduct by."

Howard who had continued to inveigh against Miss Newlove, wound up by saying "You acknowledge then, that our judgment is right, and that she is unworthy of defence."

The lawyer replied, "That an error has been committed is evident a very serious error; but the motives that led to it, ought, I think, to escape such bitter censure. I do not deny that Mr. Newlove, and his daughter have been guilty of the weakness of paying regard to my peace of mind, it was very great misconduct, perhaps, and you may blame them for it, but I can not. As to the assertion that their failure to consult me, respecting the force

and authenticity of the survey, implies criminality, it hardly deserves an answer. I was absent, and an invalid at the time when it came to light. Who does not see besides, that, if they had gained the suit by acting under my advice, I should have been just as much implicated in Mr. Everlyn's hurt as if I had appeared openly in Court? They did not wish to save me merely from being recognised as their Counsel. No, I thank them for not suspecting me of the meanness of desiring to shun any responsibility which properly attached to me! Appreciating my feelings they sought to relieve me from the true burden of my situation, the necessity of acting in any way to the prejudice of those whose welfare I esteemed as my own. It is very hard, indeed, that Miss Newlove should be subjected to suspicion on account of a measure which was prompted only by a most kind and generous impulse. Had her nature possessed more selfishness, had she been as considerate of her own security as she was of the comforts of others, she would have avoided the danger of such misconstruction. Yet, it seems to me that this disposition of hers which has made her obnoxious to suspicion, should satisfy us she is incapable of guilt. No one who has had even the slight degree of acquaintance with her that I have had, can ever bring himself to believe that she could have descended at one step to such a depth of infamy. What other evidence indeed of her innocence need be offered than that which she bears on her countenance. Is not ingenuous truth written there by the very hand of nature?"

"You speak with ardor in the young lady's behalf, Mr. Somers.'

And have I not reason to ?" he said, turning suddenly to Howard, who made the remark, "at a time when my motives were misinterpreted by all others, when friends, whose happiness was the single aspiration of my heart, looked cold upon me, then Miss Newlove had the charity to believe that a lawyer may be something else than the most sordid and groveling of creatures. Clearly aware, as she was, what cause I had to hope for her defeat, she did not distrust me. Nay, more, this knowledge only seemed to her an argument for bestowing an additional confidence on me. This freely tendered, undoubting faith, it must

ground for further apprehension, does it not rather warrant us in expecting a long continuance of the succeeding calm? Elements of danger lurk everywhere, and there is room for congratulation when a society -great or small-deprived of all ordinary restraints, has been exposed to the power of every evil principle it contained, and has passed through that fearful ordeal unharmed.

It could not be, that no jealousy should exist between races thrown in contrast under such circumstances as those of the Northerners and Southerners in Redland. Both parties, viewing their situation through the distorting medium of prejudice, could perceive only a single alternative. One, it was thought, must prevail, and the other be subdued; one must possess the land, and the other be driven into exile. The new settlers, coming with habits which had matured and hardened under a different clime, trained from infancy, to struggle against nature, and gain the vantage, entered upon a fresh contest with the steadiness and straight forward audacity of veterans. The native born inhabitants, on the other hand, conscious of superiority in some of the noblest traits of the human character, could not bear to contemplate the necessity of giving way to persons who came, not as strangers, to ask hospitality, but as invaders to demand their submission. "If these men," said they, "manifest so insolent a temper now, what must we expect hereafter? If the green tree be thus, how much worse must prove the dry?"

Time will show, that these hopes, and these fears, were equally unreasonable. If the new race brought a spirit of energy which was destined to have its course, the old was far too stout and worthy to be either exterminated or cowed. It was no onset of Goth or Lombard, nor of civilized man and savage. Fortunately for the beautiful land which the Disposer of Nations assigned to them, both rivals are to disappear, and another is to stand up in their room; a race combining the best qualities of both, and superior to either. Perhaps, the Northerner, elated by past achievements may look forward to such a prospect with little satisfaction; and the Southerner, it is probable, relishes it no better. The latter, standing, as he does, on a soil appropriated by long possession, we may admit to be not

altogether without justification in his discontent. He feels an honest pride in his generosity, his high-spirit, and his conservative integrity; yet, should he reflect that these qualities need suffer no injury from an union with the puritan virtues,—thrift, enterprise and patient industry.

It is fair to believe that even in the exciting time of the spring of 183-, the characteristic moderation and justice of the old inhabitants of Redland, would not have been overcome, had not the indiscreet provocation offered by a few thoughtless Northerners, been exaggerated and embittered through the arts of selfish individuals like John Astiville. So skilfully had this bad rich man labored at his plot, during the winter, that, no sooner was the announcement made of a forgery committed by Miss Newlove, than the body of the the community hitherto restrained, principally by her mild and blameless character, began to raise the cry of "down with the Yankees." Even men of intelligence and education-persons, who were previously remarkable for inoffensiveness and goodtemper-now thought it no sin to indulge in cordial detestation of a class, who, not content with shocking their strongest prepossessions, endeavored to wrest their property from them, by unscrupulous villany. If Emma Newlove, who appeared a very saint, had proved capable of such conduct, what redeeming traits could they expect to find in her rough and disgusting associates ?

The mine was opened and charged, and only a little thing was wanting, to bring on the explosion. Mr. Newlove had a considerable flock of fine sheep, which he had imported from New York. Absalom Handsucker found one of them in the field, dead, and partly consumed by the buzzards. "What, think you, could have been the matter with it?" inquired the owner.

"Don't know sir. Perhaps a dog took the first mouthful out of it-I saw Mr. Everlyn's pointer running across the field the other day."

"But is it probable Absalom? might not the sheep have died from some other cause ?"

"Well it might-that's a fact," returned the overseer.

"Then," said the placable Mr. Newlove," we'll say no more about it. There'll

be time enough to complain to the neighbors when other sheep are lost."

The next day Absalom met Caleb Schrowder, and, among other items of information communicated in the course of the sociable dialogue, the loss of the sheep was mentioned, and conjectures were interchanged as to the cause of its death. Schrowder went home very uneasy. He had himself some sheep. Not many to be sure, but what of that? The loss of one or two out of the number, would only be the greater proportionate damage. It was certain that dogs were quite too numerous in the neighborhood. The deduction was easily drawn-Bishop Whately himself could not have found fault with the syllogism-that a diminution of the number would be a public blessing. And why should not he, Caleb Schrowder, enlightened husbandman, and patriotic citizen, take part in so good a work? The folly of the man who locks his stable door after the horse is stolen, has become a proverb; some people with equal stupidity might put off killing dogs till the sheep were gone, but he knew better.

The design was not more grand than the execution was simple. There are many ingenious contrivances in the world, whose inventors have not obtained the immortality of fame which they deserve-among them is "the pen." Let me not be mistaken. No reference is intended to that trifling little implement, cut out of a goose quill, and whose utmost capability only extends to overturning thrones and setting brains on fire, but that other thing which country folks know better how to use. In days of old, the steel-pen, or stylus, was found quite valuable in shortening human life, but how much higher and more Malthusian the excellence of that wooden-pen which keeps in check canine prolificness! No model of this wonderful affair is to be found in the patent office, and there may be persons so grossly ignorant as not to understand the method of its construction. A few words of description may be given for the benefit of such untravelled citizens. The determined dog-hater takes about fifty large rails, and builds therewith a quad

* An American word, signifying rough pieces of timber, (ten or twelve feet in length,) split from

the chestnut or other trees.-Webster's Dic.

VOL. V. NO. V. NEW SERIES.

rangular enclosure, being careful that each course of rails, as it is laid, forms a square somewhat smaller than that below it. The result is, that the pen which is ten feet square at bottom, gradually contracts till the aperture at the top is left not more than a yard or two in width.

Caleb Schrowder, after enjoying a complacent gaze at his handiwork, bethought himself to take his wagon and drive over to neighbor Newlove's. When he got there, he preferred a request to be allowed to carry away the carcass of the dead sheep.

"Certainly. You may have it and welcome. I was going to have it buried, lest the dogs, drawn to the field by the scent, should take to worrying the flock. But what use can you make of it, Mr. Schrowder ?"

Our friend, without vouchsafing any answer but a smile and a mysterious wink, proceeded to take possession of the coveted sheep. It gave him agreeable surprise to find that the wool had not been plucked, and no sooner had he got the carcass safe home than he set himself, undeterred by its loathsome condition, about the task of robbing it of all that remained of the once ample fleece. He doubted whether he ought not to secure the tallow also, as sheep at the South are always fat, but concluding that it was "hardly worth while," he placed the well-picked body, without more ado, inside of his rail pen. Then he turned himself calmly to other business.

That night, instead of going to bed, according to custom, immediately after supper, he sat up very wakeful indeed. About nine o'clock, he heard a barking, and subsequently a loud prolonged whine. With joyful alacrity he sprang to his feet, seized a loaded gun, and hurried to the trap. There he found a dog imprisoned securely enough. The hapless animal, drawn by the scent of the carrion, had easily run up the sloping side of the pen, and leaped down to the feast. When he thought of retiring, however, it became apparent that the peculiar construction of the edifice, which had so much facilitated his entrance, made his exit an impossibility. In fact he was placed in a situation very unpleasantly similar to that of the rat which, after having without difficulty squeezed through the cozy little wire tunnel of a trap from the

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